A rapid connection element between a supple hose-pipe, for example made of rubber, and a tube of rigid material such as metal, or semi-rigid, such as a plastics material, is already disclosed in Pat. No. EP-A-440.564. Such a connection element is constituted by an assembly of two, internal and external bushes, tightening on the hosepipe, whilst a housing for an O-ring is provided on the inner surface of the inner bush. The housing for the O-ring is closed, outwardly in the axial direction, by an annular radial wall distinct from the inner bush and fixed thereto.
The structure of such a connection element renders manufacture thereof particularly economical, since it may be made from suitably stamped, thin metal sheets, the fixation of the different members generally being effected by simple crimpings.
In particular, the European Patent mentioned above indicates that the annular radial wall closing the housing of the O-ring may receive various appendices comprising locking means intended to cooperate with complementary means provided on the tube to ensure, after it has been introduced in the connection element, their axial immobilization. With respect to the O-ring, the locking means are located beyond (towards the outside) the added radial wall closing the housing for the O-ring.
When the tube to be fitted in the connection element presents a small diameter, it is often advantageous to shape the zone to be fitted so that it comprises, successively, from the end of the tube, on the one hand, a cylindrical portion intended to come into contact with the O-ring of the connection element, on the other hand, an annular ramp terminating in a radial shoulder capable of constituting a stop cooperating with the locking means provided on the connection element.
Published application no. DE-A-2 948 560 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,534 in particular, disclose a rapid connection element in which the locking means provided on said element comprise a split ring, elastically deformable in the radial sense. Such a ring is disposed in an annular housing of which the inner and outer radial faces constitute axial stops for said ring, thus limiting its possibilities of axial displacement. After introduction of the tube in the connection element, the split ring constitutes a stop for the shoulder of the tube and thus ensures axial immobilization thereof.
However, the embodiments proposed by the two documents mentioned above are not directly applicable to the technique of manufacturing the connection element described by Pat. No. EP-A-440.564. In fact, they require a solid piece in which the annular housing for the split ring is formed by machining.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a connection element capable of being manufactured in accordance with the advantageous technique set forth in Pat. No. EP-A-440.564 whilst allowing the fit of a tube capable of being axially immobilized by complementary means of the type such as those described by documents DE-A-2 948 560 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,534.